Grant Brothers Sales Ltd. announced that Terry Bax of Tribax Sales Inc. will join Grant Brothers effective September 1 as district manager for southwestern Ontario. Bax has run a successful agency for the last 15 years and has the experience needed to service and support customers in the traditional automotive aftermarket, the company says.

 Terry Bax

Pilot Automotive Inc. appointed of Awanish Ranjan as director of sales support. Ranjan was previously responsible for new business ventures at AutoZone and has been a business analyst at Pilot since 2004. In his new role, he will lead the Pilot Business and Financial Analysis Team for multiple sales divisions. Ranjan is based at the Pilot Headquarters in City of Industry, California. 

 Awanish Ranjan

Stillwater Designs recently presented service awards to a total of 65 employees during a meeting at the company’s world headquarters. Stillwater Designs founder and owner Steve Irby and Executive Vice President Gary Henderson presented the awards recognizing employees for their dedication and loyalty. Recognized for 20 years of service: Jay Ralston and Bill Doering. Employees with the company 15 years: Clint Cooke, Bob Spencer, Dan Jobin and Jeff Quayle. Employees with the company 10 years:  Jeried Field, Monty Larman, Errick Anderson, Kay Vinson, Steve Perry, Kip Litsey and John Meyers. Employees with the company five years: R Campbell, Casey Murphy, Tyson Coker, Jorge Meyers, Beau Myrick, Eva Pace, Del Birchfield, Jason Lewellen, Ernie Ficklin, Herb Kane and Joey Anglin.

Standard Motor Products Inc. announced that its board of directors has authorized a $3.3 million increase in the company’s stock repurchase program. The program is in addition to the company’s existing stock repurchase program, under which the company recently repurchased approximately $1.7 million of stock. Any repurchased shares will be held as treasury stock and will be available for general corporate purposes, including funding existing stock plans. In addition, Standard Motor Products has announced Pamela Forbes Lieberman has been appointed as an independent director to the company’s board of directors. Lieberman, who previously served as the president and CEO of True Value Corp. and is a certified public accountant, will serve on each of the committees of the board of directors.  

The SEMA Show is loaded with innovative resources, merchandising tools, marketing strategies and networking opportunities to help auto dealers create new profit centers with fast-selling accessories in every department: new car, used car, parts, service and F&I. Gain the knowledge and expertise you need to capture your share of the $36.7 billion accessory market at these dealer-exclusive special events.

Automotive News Dealer Forum: Creating New Profit Centers through Accessorization
Co-sponsored by NADA and SEMA
Wednesday, October 31
2:45 p.m.–5:00 p.m. (doors open at 2:15 p.m.)
Las Vegas Convention Center, Room N258-260

The booming accessory market offers dealers unprecedented profit potential. Whether you’re a franchised dealer or an independent used-car retailer, learn how to tap into this rapidly expanding, high-profit market at the all-new Automotive News Dealer Forum. Hear from a top-level OEM executive how accessories can mean more business and profits for your dealership. Learn firsthand from a panel of savvy dealers how to use accessories to generate showroom excitement, enhance customer satisfaction and significantly boost bottom-line profitability—proven strategies to attract new buyers and position your dealership as a market leader. Moderator: Keith Crain, Crain Communications

Exclusive Welcome Reception
Co-sponsored by Automotive News, NADA and SEMA 
5:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m.                  
Las Vegas Convention Center, North Hall Lobby/Door N3

Immediately following the Automotive News Dealer Forum, enjoy a private, after-hours gathering while you meet and mingle with industry executives, OEM representatives and your hosts for the evening—Automotive News, NADA and SEMA—at a gala reception welcoming auto dealers to the 2007 SEMA Show. Unwind amidst stunning displays of stylized vehicles and enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a hosted bar. Savor a selection of premium California wines and much more. Admittance to the reception is by invitation only. To request an invitation or to RSVP by October 22, email to dealerlink@sema.org.

NADA Hospitality Lounge
Co-sponsored by Automotive News and SEMA    
Tuesday, October 30–Thursday, November 1
9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Las Vegas Convention Center, Silver State Room/C201 (between Halls C1 and C2)

Be sure to visit the all-new NADA Hospitality Lounge, conveniently located near the Show floor between Halls C1 and C2. Hosted by the National Association of Automobile Dealers, the hospitality lounge—open exclusively to auto dealers—is the perfect place to relax, unwind, network with colleagues or hold a casual meeting. Open daily during show hours, Tuesday through Thursday. Show badge required for admittance.

FILLER FOR KEYSTONE EVENT ITEM

The Performance Warehouse Association (PWA) will be hosting a SEMA Young Executives Network (YEN) Silent Auction at the Annual PWA Conference, September 24–26, at the Point South Mountain Resort in Phoenix, Arizona.

The auction will take place Monday, September 24 during the conference’s annual water park reception. The theme of the auction will be sports memorabilia and will feature collectible items from every major sports category—racing and motorsports, football, baseball, golf, hockey, Olympics and more. The memorabilia ranges from rare items to autographs and signed equipment. Proceeds from the auction benefit the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund.

PWA’s Executive Director John Towle stated, “I’m pleased to report that PWA will be supporting the SEMA YEN Committee. With the support of the conference participants, this program should raise significant funds for the SEMA Scholarship Fund.”

The SEMA Silent Auction that is managed by YEN has raised more than $100,000 for the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund in the past three years. The funds are being raised to support scholarships for students seeking careers in the automotive aftermarket industry and for the student loan forgiveness for those working for SEMA-member companies.

SEMA also hosts a silent auction of automobile-related items yearly at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Individuals or businesses who would like to make a tax-deductible donation or donate items that can be a part of the auctions can do so by visiting www.semasilentauction.com. More information on YEN is available at www.sema.org/yen.

SEMA and the Manufacturers' Rep Council (MRC) cordially invite you to participate in the SEMA/MRC Interactive Town Hall Dinner—a new component of the SEMA MRC Rep Conference that is designed specifically for manufacturers, WDs and reps. The MRC Rep Conference Town Hall Interactive Dinner takes place immediately following the close of the Performance Warehouse Association (PWA) Conference on Wednesday, September 26, beginning at 5:30 p.m. with the famed MRC-sponsored cocktail hour. Dinner service will begin at 6:20 p.m. and the Town Hall discussion will begin at 7:00 p.m. lasting until 9:00 p.m.

The Town Hall is a unique interactive discussion that will explore the expectations that the manufacturer, the warehouse distributor and manufacturers' rep all have in an agency or rep servicing a satellite warehouse location. 

This is the ideal event to:

• Join leading manufacturers and WDs in uncovering the best way to address sales training for WDs.
• Discover new ways to introduce new products, ultimately leading to more sales.
• Go home with practical solutions to your biggest challenges.

To reserve your seat, click here to download a copy of the registration form. To learn more about the MRC Rep Conference, visit www.sema.org/mrc or contact Jan Desma at mrc@sema.org or call 909/396-0289, ext. 134.

To better serve the membership of the council, the leadership of Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) is determined to involve more members in their planning sessions and allow more time to research viable projects before submitting budgetary items for fiscal year 2008. ARMO members are encouraged and invited to head east in October to attend this yearly open meeting.

Meeting Details
Date:  Monday, October 8, 2007
Location: Carlisle Fairgrounds—Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Schedule
7:30 a.m.—Continental Breakfast available
8:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.—Open Session
12:30–1:30 p.m.—Lunch

The council leadership also recognizes that one of the main strengths of ARMO lies in networking with other industry professionals. As a result, a networking opportunity prior to the Long Range Planning Meeting is in place, and members are invited to attend an ARMO Mixer on Sunday, October 7, at the close of Fall Carlisle. Situated on fairgrounds property, a nostalgic car dealership will provide the backdrop for this event and will also host the Long Range Planning meeting.

All ARMO-member companies, branch offices and individuals are welcome to attend and are encouraged to participate. For more information or to reserve your space, contact Jan Desma at armo@sema.org or 909/396-0289, ext. 134. For travel assistance, contact Manya Petropaki at the Travel Store USA, 888/219-1915,  ext. 19268; 949/930-9268; manya.p@travelstoreUSA.com.

The SEMA Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) announced its educational line-up for the council's Education Day program, February 28, 2008, at the Indianapolis Convention Center, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Working with SEMA’s Education Department, the HRIA was able to secure the services and talents of two notable keynote speakers:  Bob Negen of WhizBang! Training, and Dan Martens of MISIX Inc.—both SEMA Show favorites. A survey of council members identified a strong desire and interest in learning more up-to-date techniques to market their business, products or services. Understanding about marketing a brand was another hot topic of interest.

Education Day consists of two keynote speaker seminars and 35 technical seminars.

Seminar #1
Maximum Bang for Your Marketing Bucks—How to Bring a Flood of New Customers for Little or No Money
7:30 – 8:30 a.m. — White River Ballroom
Keynote speaker:  Bob Negen, WhizBang! Training

Seminar #2
Understanding Your Brand and How it Can Work for You
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. – White River Ballroom
Keynote speaker:  Dan Martens, MISIX Inc.

NEW FOR 2008: Everybody needs nourishment, and what better way of killing two birds with one stone than to have lunch and listen to a great speaker at the same time!

Technical seminars, better known as manufacturer workshops, will begin at 8:45 a.m. with five seminars running concurrently. A total of 35 workshops throughout the day makes this one of the most desirable educational days available for members. Exhibitors of the Hotrod and Restoration trade show are invited to promote and demonstrate the technical applications of their products by conducting these manufacturer workshops/technical seminars. Approved and final technical seminars will be publicized in SEMA-related materials and in Hotrod and Restoration-related materials. All topics must be technical in nature. Marketing sessions will not be permitted.

To download an application form, visit:  www.sema.org/hria. For more information on SEMA educational opportunities visit www.sema.org/education.

 Dates and locations for several upcoming SEMA-sponsored shows and activities have been announced. Details are:

SEMA-member companies have posted several new listings for job opportunities at www.sema.org/classifieds. Working for a SEMA-member company has many advantages. In addition to working for a company that supports and contributes to the success of the overall industry, being employed by a SEMA-member company enable the employee to participate in webinars, access free market research, join SEMA committees and more. The newest classified listings posted under Positions Available include:

• Sales Assistant  Corona, California
• Events Production Director, Irvine, California
• Regional Wheel Sales Manager, Dallas, Texas
• Engineering Project Manager, Lansing, Michigan 
• National Sales Manager, Louisville, Colorado 

SEMA members: Have a job opening that you need filled? Members are invited to post classified ads on www.sema.org/classifieds free of charge. Categories include Positions Available, Positions Wanted, Rep Opportunities, WD Opportunities, For Sale, Items Wanted, Business Opportunities and Internships. Visit the site for details.

What specialty-equipment market niche do you make products for? According to SEMA market research, about 12% of SEMA members surveyed said the hot-rod and custom market generates the greatest percentage of sales revenue for their company, second only to the light-truck market. For those companies in, or thinking about entering, the hot-rod market, SEMA market research provides vital statistics on the current state of this lucrative industry segment. The following is a short excerpt from the 2006 Hot Rod Industry Report:

Classic Car Registrations: It’s important to look at how many classic cars, hot rods, street rods and musclecars are currently registered in the United States. Unfortunately, not every state keeps this kind of information. Each state classifies passenger vehicles differently, and we were unable to obtain make and model data from several states.

The problem with this is that pre-'73 vehicles would include models not considered hot rods. For example, a '57 Toyota would fall into the model years we specified, but would not be classified as a hot rod. Of course, there are also probably many pre-'73 vehicles throughout the United States that are stored in garages or barns and are not even registered.

California, the birthplace of hot rodding, has 2,775,004 registered automobiles from model years 1871 through 1972. This represents 5.99% of the total number of registered vehicles in the state. The following chart shows the breakdown of registered vehicles of model years '72 and older. SEMA was able to obtain the registration data from 26 states, although the process proved more difficult than anticipated.

Most of the state departments of motor vehicles claimed they do not keep such records. This doesn’t seem possible, for in order to register a vehicle, one must indicate the make, model and year of the vehicle in order to pay the appropriate fees. Many of the motor-vehicle departments didn’t respond to voicemails, e-mails or formal request letters. Of the states that participated, many charged fees from anywhere between $35–$1,000 for the data. Others made the data available for free.

The table below breaks down the totals by state. California represents the highest percentage of pre-'73 (2,775,004), followed by North Carolina (1,033,224). The state with the least number of pre-'73 registered vehicles is Vermont (1,331).

SEMA members can receive a complimentary copy of the full-length 2006 Hot Rod Industry Report as a member benefit. In it readers will find detailed analysis of the hot-rod registration data presented above, including a deeper look at which years and vehicle makes are most popular. In addition, the report is filled with valuable facts and figures about the ever-growing hot rod industry. SEMA members can download the report by visiting www.sema.org/research.